[This post was written in 2009, and we are years past the 400th anniversary of Arminius’ death in that year. But the information in the post remains ever relevant.]
Tomorrow Arminians celebrate the life of Jacobus Arminius on the 400th anniversary of his death on October 19, 1609. I have often lamented that Arminius died so soon not being able to defend his views before the Synod of Dort that was soon to convene. History records that at the Synod of Dort, the Calvinists and their kangaroo court won the debate and made Arminianism heresy along with destroying the greatness of the reformer, Arminius. Had Arminius not died in 1609, I am convinced that things might have been different at the Synod of Dort. While it is highly unlikely that Arminianism would have won the debate since the Synod of Dort was stacked against the Remonstrants from the beginning, I do think that Arminius would have been able sway many to his side and defeat many of the Calvinists’ arguments.
Nonetheless, I do think that the Arminians stood their ground at the Synod of Dort, and I had I been alive, I would have gladly joined with them in standing firm for the truth. I am grateful for the legacy that so many godly Remonstrants left behind in the wake of the Synod of Dort. While many Calvinists began to persecute the Arminians by destroying their churches, forcing them to leave their pastorates and even their homes, and even killing some them, the Remonstrants followed in the example of Jesus (1 Peter 2:21-25), Paul (Romans 8:18), and Arminus himself in enduring persecution.
I celebrate the life and legacy of Arminius. I believe this man is now in the presence of Christ, worshiping our Sovereign Lord, and rejoicing in the God of his salvation. I believe that his legacy continues to this day among us Reformation Arminians who hold to the truths of God’s Word and the truths that Arminius taught us. Was Arminius a perfect man? By no means! But did God use Arminius to glorify His holy name? By all means!
Arminius was a reformer. His name belongs in the halls of Church History along with William Tyndale, John Knox, Martin Luther, John Calvin, and others. Whether you agree with Arminius or not, he stood firm for what he believed the Bible taught instead of merely accepting the teachings of Calvin, Luther, Augustine, or Beza. He studied the Word and allowed the Word to teach him its truths. He worked verse by verse through the book of Romans, seeking to understand the nature of God, His gospel, Jesus’ atonement, and God’s sovereignty in salvation. Arminius stood for the free will of men, believing that God had placed on each man the right to choose for himself how to live his life apart from the coercion of God. That is why Arminius did not advocate persecution of Catholics, Anabaptists, or even Muslims. He felt that we need to teach the truth of Scripture and allow the grace of God to bring a person to Christ, but if they refuse, don’t persecute them or seek to destroy them, but continue to love them that Christ may be shown among His Church.
Arminius was a radical. While all the other pastors of his day were teaching Calvin and what later would be called Calvinism, Arminius was willing to question what he had been taught. Trained under Theordore Beza, Arminius at first accepted Calvinism and was asked to defend it against Anabaptist teachings on infant baptism. While studying to defend Calvinism, Arminius began to embrace the Anabaptist teachings on the nature of the New Covenant and the free will of men. Arminius began to study even doctrine of Calvin from total depravity to perseverance of the saints, and in the end he went against Calvin and Beza and began to teach his own views. In those days, a fine clergymen did not question his teacher especially Calvin. How radical! Calvin admitted that he gleaned much from Augustine and from Martin Luther, but Arminius gleaned much from the Bible.
Arminius deserves respect. Perhaps you disagree with Arminius and his doctrines, but I ask you to respect this godly man. I respect John Calvin. I don’t agree with much of Calvin, nor do I agree with some of his actions in life (the case of Servetus), but I respect him for his brilliant mind and his hunger to systematically teach the Bible. I have no doubt that many have been blessed by reading Calvin through all these years.
Yet too many misunderstand Arminius and his teachings. Arminius and his theology is often portrayed as man-centered, Semi-Pelagianism, or close to Roman Catholic theology. Some try to point to history as showing that following Arminius’ death, many Arminians turned liberal, and they try to make this the legacy of Arminius. Others want to bury the man at the Synod of Dort and show that history vindicated Calvin and Calvinism. Some want to try to teach that Arminius was focused primarily on free will and seeking to take God from His throne and place mankind on it.
But what do we find when we read Arminius? We find a man who wanted Christ to be exalted. In fact, Arminius’ primary attack on Calvinism was that it did not exalt the love of God enough. Arminius did not begin his theology with free will but with the nature of God, that God is love (1 John 4:7). From this love, God sent His only begotten Son to die for our sins (1 John 4:10; John 3:16) and that atonement is sufficient to save all who would believe in Christ (John 1:29; 1 John 2:1-2). Now whosoever may come and be saved by faith in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18-21; Hebrews 2:9; 2 Peter 3:9). Through Christ, Arminius taught, God opened the heavens for all of humanity to be saved by His grace (1 Timothy 2:1-6) by faith in Jesus (John 1:12-13; 5:24; Acts 2:21, 38-39; Romans 2:4; 5:1-11; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7). Arminius did argue for free will, but he only argued for free will based on God and His nature, that He being a loving God would want His children to love Him without any strings attached to make them love Him.
Conclusion
I praise God for Arminius and his legacy. I rejoice that God gave us this great Christian theologian and thinker. I pray that those of us who call ourselves Arminians would love Christ as Arminius loved Christ, preach Christ as Arminius preached Christ, evangelize as Arminius evangelized, and seek to glorify Christ as Arminius sought to glorify Christ. We should not worship Arminius obviously, but we can honor his name by exalting the One whom he loved and adored, the Lord Jesus Christ. May we continue to proclaim, until Christ comes again, that God loves us, desires to save us through His Son, and that whosoever may come and drink of the river of life (John 4:13-14; Revelation 22:17).
[Link to original post and comments at Roy Ingle’s website.]
